Involved in a bitter battle with the BJP in Karnataka, the Congress has taken a cue from the saffron party's formula to stake a claim for government formation in Goa.

Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and Rahul Gandhi’s Congress to demand right to form government in Bihar and Goa respectively. (File photo/@yadavtejashwi)

Involved in a bitter battle with the BJP in Karnataka, the Congress has taken a cue from the saffron party’s formula to stake a claim for government formation in Goa. RJD has claimed the same in Bihar. The Grand Old Party’s decision comes after BJP – the single largest party with 104 seats – was invited to form the government in Karnataka by the Governor.

The Congress has argued that if the governor can invite BJP to form the government in Karnataka on the basis of it being the single largest party, then why can’t the same be done in Goa. In the 2017 Assembly elections, Congress had emerged as the largest party but BJP managed to form the government with the help of allies.

According to ANI, Congress Goa in-charge Chella Kumar will leave for Goa today where he with other party leaders will meet the Governor tomorrow. The Congress party leaders will ask the Goa governor to invite them to form the government as it is the single largest party of the state. ANI also reported Congress sources as saying that the party may parade its MLAs before Goa governor’s house to claim it has the largest number of MLAs in the state.

“In 2017, we won 17 seats and were the single largest party and continue to be but Governor chose to invite the BJP which had 13 seats. In Karnataka, Governor invited BJP as they are the single largest party. So, we appeal to Governor to invite us to form govt,” ANI quoted Yatish Naik of Goa Congress as saying.

Meanwhile, former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has also claimed that his party RJD be invited to form the government in the state for being the single largest party. The RJD has also announced a one-day dharma on Friday against the formation of the BJP government in Karnataka.

“We would be holding a 1-day dharna tomorrow against the murder of democracy in Karnataka. We also request the Bihar Governor to dissolve the state government and like in Karnataka invite the single largest party, which in Bihar is the RJD,” ANI quoted Yadav as saying.

Last year, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had walked out of the Grand Alliance comprising his JD(U), RJD and Congress. The RJD was the largest party in the Grand Alliance. Kumar had joined hands with the BJP to form the government.